What are the Rules on Speeding Bookings?

I was booked for speeding 39mph in a 30mph zone. I received a summons with a choice of a £60 fine or paying £75 and attending a half day safety lecture given by a company from Wales. I paid the £60.

In all this weeks local papers it states motorist caught speeding given option of "No fine or points if agreeable to a 15 minute safety lecture by the patrolman".

Why the discrimination?

(Mr john stephens, 9 September 2008)

A.

If you are booked for speeding, you are usually sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution within a fortnight of the booking. This is sent to the registered owner of the vehicle that was caught speeding, and requires you to either confirm that you were the driver that committed the speeding offence, or to name the person who did. If you were driving at the time of the speeding offence, you can be offered a conditional offer of a Fixed Penalty. If you pay this fixed penalty, you will not have to go to court.

How Much Will a Fixed Penalty Cost Me?

This will usually amount to a maximum of £100, along with three penalty points on your driving licence. However, if you already have a significant number of penalty points on your licence, you will be summoned to court instead of being offered a conditional offer of a fixed penalty. If your case goes to court, you can be given three to six penalty points on your licence and a discretionary driving ban. The court also reserves the right to impose a fine that is higher than was originally given.

Are There Any Alternatives to a Fixed Penalty?

In some cases, you may offered the opportunity to attend a driving awareness course or workshop, if the police decide that this should be the case. These speed awareness courses are designed to teach drivers the errors of their ways to try to stop them from repeatedly offending, and can replace the speeding fine and penalty points. In most cases, places on these courses will only be offered to drivers who have been caught exceeding the speed limit but not by a significant margin. The course is not free, and will usually cost you between £60 and £100 to attend. Although this is basically the same amount of money as a speeding fine, you will be able to avoid having penalty points on your licence, which can also help with your insurance premiums.

Attending driving awareness courses can be a good alternative to accepting a £60 fine and three penalty points on your licence, especially as this helps to keep your insurance premiums lower. However, not all drivers caught speeding are automatically offered this, as much depends on how far over the speed limit you were when caught.

I recently received a NIP regarding a speeding offence, which I filled in the required information and posted back immediately. How soon after I have sent this back should I expect to get the actual fine etc through?

SlowSpeeder - 14-Mar-18 @ 4:37 PM

Hi there. Had a nip come through. Was caught speeding. 96mph in a 70. Recd letter today saying a fixed penalty won’t be applicable and wait and hear a summons. Do you know what will happen or the likely good of what happens now?

Dix - 21-Dec-17 @ 11:07 AM

NotSoSmartalex - Your Question:

Got flashed on the A1 just after roundabout around Borehamwood recently. Apparently is 50 mph limit but no clear indication of that when leaving the roundabout as there usually is. There was a small "reminder" just before camera. Are there any rules about the former?

Our Response:

If you want to query the signage, you might need to be prepared to appear in court. We can't really comment as we're not familiar with that stretch of road.

NoPenaltyPoints - 15-Nov-17 @ 11:20 AM

Got flashed on the A1 just after roundabout around Borehamwood recently. Apparently is 50 mph limit but no clear indication of that when leaving the roundabout as there usually is. There was a small "reminder" just before camera. Are there any rules about the former?

NotSoSmartalex - 14-Nov-17 @ 9:42 AM

Rolyo - Your Question:

I was doing 30mph in a temporary, road works associated 20mph zone. However the 20mph terminal sign on the nearside of the road was concealed behind two signs showing the road narrowing sign plates. The far side terminal 20mph sign was low, obstructed by a lamppost from a distance and intermittently concealed by oncoming traffic and pedestrians. I have photos showing this. Is it worth contesting the case in court as the terminal signs could easily have been placed in clear view, however they were placed in concealed and intermittently concealed locations.Thank you, R

Our Response:

If you have evidence that suggests you wouldn't be aware the road was anything other than a 30 mph road, then yes contest it. Be prepared to go to court though.

NoPenaltyPoints - 8-May-17 @ 2:23 PM

I was doing 30mph in a temporary, road works associated 20mph zone. However the 20mph terminal sign on the nearside of the road was concealed behind two signs showing the road narrowing sign plates. The far side terminal 20mph sign was low, obstructed by a lamppost from a distance and intermittently concealed by oncoming traffic and pedestrians. I have photos showing this. Is it worth contesting the case in court as the terminal signs could easily have been placed in clear view, however they were placed in concealed and intermittently concealed locations.
Thank you, R

Rolyo - 7-May-17 @ 12:09 PM

hi, hope you can help, I was caught doing 43 on a 30 mph road, the road in question was always a 40mph and had been for years. No signs went up to say it was now a 30mph road. A speed detection van was parked up at the side of the road. I emailed the CTO, they said they checked with the van driver who said that he had put a 30 mph speed sign at the lamp post in front of the van, I can honestly say I didn't see any sign. Can they just change the speed limit without notifying drivers? It seems really unfair. There was never speed vans on that road until it was changed to a 30mph they're there all the time now. It feels like entrapment.

rhonda - 26-Nov-16 @ 7:38 PM

J0nny - Your Question:

I have be sent a speeding ticket in the lost for going 36 in a 30 roadwork zone at 6:56am. Is there a way of getting my off with it? I already have points on my license for the same thing.

Our Response:

No, if you were speeding you can expect the necessary penalty. Check the NIP was dated within 14 days of the offence, a late issue of the NIP is likely to be the only way you can escape this (and they're not often issued late nowadays).

NoPenaltyPoints - 11-Nov-16 @ 2:13 PM

I have be sent a speeding ticket in the lost for going 36 in a 30 roadwork zone at 6:56am. Is there a way of getting my off with it? I already have points on my license for the same thing.

J0nny - 10-Nov-16 @ 2:47 PM

Worried - Your Question:

I have been caught speeding I was doing 37 in a 30, I honesty thought it was a 40 area until I went back and checked. There were no notices or signs saying speed cameras in operation and only one 30mph notice on the left side of the road as you go through the area.The officer didn't look like police was standing behind his bike with a camera. Do I chalk it up to stupidity and take the course or appeal

Our Response:

You wouldn't really have a good reason to appeal. There is no law that says signs need in place for mobile cameras and 30mph areas are not signed - they should be instantly recognisable by the street lighting etc.

NoPenaltyPoints - 10-Nov-16 @ 11:53 AM

I have been caught speeding I was doing 37 in a 30, I honesty thought it was a 40 area until I went back and checked. There were no notices or signs saying speed cameras in operation and only one 30mph notice on the left side of the road as you go through the area.
The officer didn't look like police was standing behind his bike with a camera. Do I chalk it up to stupidity and take the course or appeal

Worried - 9-Nov-16 @ 5:13 PM

guilty smurf - Your Question:

Can anpr vans issue speeding ticket?

Our Response:

We'renot aware that this is a frequent practice. ANPR cameras are commonly used to check for road tax and insurance offences.

NoPenaltyPoints - 2-Aug-16 @ 9:46 AM

can anpr vans issue speeding ticket?

guilty smurf - 1-Aug-16 @ 12:55 PM

Mark - Your Question:

I was court speeding on April 7th 2015 , and my case has been adjourned 4times by the procurator fiscal is there a time limit ? I have heard 12 months is this true ?

Our Response:

Sorry we don't know the answer to this. A solicitor/lawyer might be able to tell you.

NoPenaltyPoints - 26-May-16 @ 2:42 PM

I was court speeding on April 7th 2015 , and my case has been adjourned 4times by the procurator fiscalis there a time limit ? I have heard 12 months is this true ?

Mark - 25-May-16 @ 12:24 PM

My husband has been fined £100 for speeding. He has asked where about he was caught speeding and was told A van was by a public footpath just over a bridge. Can my husband dispute this fine as cars automatically increase speed going down a hill? He never speeds and is always very cautious on roads.

Lorna71 - 23-Mar-16 @ 2:54 PM

@Katie. You will find out within around 14 days as that is the time limit for a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) to be issued.

NoPenaltyPoints - 30-Jul-15 @ 10:22 AM

I was driving a country road doing 45 I think its a 30 tho. Any as I was going down the hill a van which I never noticed until it pass, had speed camera on it. Have I been done for speeding?

Katie - 28-Jul-15 @ 8:16 PM

@Fabi. It depends whether you were informed of your speed at the time you were stopped.

NoPenaltyPoints - 26-Jun-15 @ 10:08 AM

Got pulled over for speeding on 30 March. No details of speed on offence report which is unsigned by me. Received offer of Speed Awareness Course 6 June. Do I have any grounds to challenge?

fabi - 21-Jun-15 @ 9:39 PM

@Coops. ACPO speed guidelines suggest speeds of under 35mph will not be penalised.

NoPenaltyPoints - 17-Jun-15 @ 11:29 AM

I was doing between 30 and 35 miles an hour (def under 35) is there any leway or do you get fined from 1 mile an hour over? No previous offences.

Coops - 12-Jun-15 @ 3:18 PM

I was caught doing 45mph in a so called 30mph residential dual carriageway I have received a summons but have recently driven down the same road and all it says on street signs is that its a dual carriageway which I thought was 60/70mph or if stated 40/30mph I have driven up and down the both sides of the duel carriageway and there is not 1 sign saying what the speed limit should be I now the local council can change speed limits but must be clearly signed but like I say not 1 speed sign how do I stand do I take it to court or pay the£100 fine and 3 penalty points

abrahams1967 - 16-Sep-14 @ 7:33 PM

My husband attended a SAC in Oct 2010. Therefore no points, no fixed penalty, no ban. However, does he have a "driving conviction"? This is directly related to a question asked by an insurance company. We are unsure.
Thank you.

Confused.com - 22-Oct-13 @ 11:18 AM

Morning
Last October was stopped for speeding by 2 officers on push bikes. They were using a UNIPAR SL 700 speed device.They said I was doing 41 in a 30. I have contested the ticket requesting the calibration certificate and competency of the officer.Took 6 months and now I have statement from the officer that the equipment was within its annual calibration. I'm fine with that. What concerns me is the pre start check of the equipment the officer mentions a range of 15.4 and post check (carried out much later in the evening) of 15.1.I have challenged the 15.4 figure as I am aware that these pieces of kit are calibrated to +/- .1.I have requested evidence of calibration again and training certificates for the officer. Also the speeding offence code of my FPN is Q301 .All I got back from the CPS is a load of rubbish but none of the information I have requested. Am I right to challenge

Joe80tz - 24-May-13 @ 12:19 PM

I got a ticket, received the notice of prosecution which I filled in admitting the offence and sent off with my license. I heard nothing and then got a letter chasing the form. I called the centre in Southampton telling them I had returned the form to Banbury as instructed. I was told that the Banbury office had closed and that there was a 2week backlog processing fines and to wait. Well a month has passed and I wonder if I can challenge the speeding fine due to the long delay on the part of the penalty office. The offence was in February 2013 and it is now 30 April 2013

kitchen57 - 30-Apr-13 @ 1:38 PM

is it a legal requirement for there to be speed camera warning signs to be fitted to lampostswhere mobile cameras are randomly in useon 30 mph zones?

mick - 4-Feb-13 @ 11:38 AM

@jrec. if yo follow the decision tree tool, you'll see that it's "possible but not guaranteed". However, experience has taught me that they are not lenient with people who already have more than one endorsement I'm afraid.

PollyDoodle - 14-Nov-12 @ 3:27 PM

@NoPenaltyPoints - have read that article and all comments and cant quite see where the reference is to qualify your comment (which I tend to concur with actually); is there a specific reference somewhere that I've missed that refers to SAC's not being offered to those with 6 points already? Thanks

jrec - 14-Nov-12 @ 9:49 AM

@jrec - unlikely that the SAC offer would stay if you are named as the driver. Take a look at this article